People know who i am and what i stand for, i don’t hide my views

North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale suspects that knowledge of the decision to hold the election in June was restricted to only the highest people in government.

The Conservative said: “I don’t think anybody knew except Theresa May, her husband, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and perhaps a couple of others.

“Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely.

“We’ve got a majority smaller than John Major’s in 1992, and that was a very difficult parliament.

“Theresa May is not playing an opportunistic game. She’s decided that if she’s going to make this work in the national interest she needs a decent majority to do it with. It sends a very clear message to the EU that she means business.

“We’ve now got to change gear very fast and of course we can do that.”

Sir Roger, an MP since 1983, insists that despite campaigning to remain in the European Union, he is behind the government’s efforts to negotiate Britain’s departure from it.

He said: “The nation has spoken. I voted remain, but the day after the referendum I was asked where I stood and I said the public has expressed their view and we need to make it work. I recognise that I have a job to do in helping to make that happen.

“As the incumbent I’ve got nowhere to hide. People know who I am, what I’ve done and what I stand for. I don’t exactly hide my views. I’m not going to reinvent myself in seven weeks.”

Sir Roger added that it would be “insanity” and “sheer folly” to dispose of Manston as a freight airport as Brexit approaches.